Question:
Any suggestions about pain and other symptoms I'm experiencing?

   — Tigs (posted on November 29, 2006)

November 29, 2006
Hi Tigs! oh, my, you're really having a rough time! If you've been to all these doctors, I hate to suggest this, but sometimes simple is best. I had a similar pain this summer, thought I was going to diiiieeee. It felt like my intestines were going to jump out of my body, or possibly a huge lump of poop was working its way along my digestive system. Yup, cramping, rolling, squeezing -- horrible! I was afraid to eat, thinking it would aggravate it. Finally, I took a sip of Maalox, and the pain went away almost instantly. I've had it twice since, and each time a sip of Maalox or Milk of Magnesia stopped it cold. I'm guessing that our bodies aren't going to feel symptoms the same way they did before the surgery. The fact that it starts when your tummy is empty makes me think that you're feeling a super hunger pain. I hope it's nothing worse, and I'll be praying that the doctors find a way to make it go away permanently! Good luck!
   — mwilson523

November 29, 2006
Tigs: Sorry to hear about your troubles! I get a similar pain usually weeks apart. It almost always wakes me up overnight. It is a horrible squeezing pain that shoots through to my back. I have had my GB removed, so I know it's not that. I was scoped by an OBGYN last year. He saw alot of adhesions on my bowels. I was sent to a general surgeon. I told him about the attacks. he basically said it was from the RNY and I'd have to live with it. I usually have to walk around frantically in circles until it passes. Sorry I'm no help, but wanted you to know you're not alone. I've had very few "attacks" during the day, usually they occur overnight. I have heard it can be a partial bowel obstruction that works it's way through? Good luck!! DeeAnn R
   — DeeAnn

November 29, 2006
Gosh.... you are really having a hard time. I am sorry to hear that. I don't really have any suggestions. It sounds like you have been through nearly every test that they can run. I hope they figure out what is wrong. The answer from the dr that it is from the RNY, I feel, is unacceptable. Hoping you have better days ahead....
   — Kari_K

November 29, 2006
I am sorry you aren't feeling well, but I also had severe pains in my stomach that went to my back (sort of like labor pains) and found no relief except to apply heat and lay on my right side or a very hot bath. I had my gb removed months before this pain started. I went through every test imaginable by a gastrointerologist and he didn't find anything.....to make a long story short, I went back to my GB surgeon and he immediately knew what was going on. He said I had a hernia behind the roun y limb and he immediately did exploratory surgery and found the hernia and my bowel was kinked. He fixed my problem and I haven't had anymore pain. He said this is rare but he has had about a dozen patients that have had this hernia. It doesn't show up on all the gastro tests. I hope you will mention this to your GB surgeon and see if this is a possiblity. Exploratory laproscopic surgery may be the only way to find the exact problem. Good Luck, in the meantime try heat and rest until it subsides. CM
   — cmc

November 30, 2006
I just want to say that some tests just do not show the gall bladder. My aunt was having the same type pain and went for ultrasound, ct scans, etc: they couldn't find it and tried to tell her that she must have had it out earlier. I'm not sure how they finally found out, but she had it out last week and it was extremely diseased and had 3 big stones the size of quarters.
   — geneswife

November 30, 2006
It might be helpful if you could figure out a way to either see the doctor during an attack or try to induce one in the office... I'm guessing that none of the testing was done while you were having an attack? You could be having some kind of cramp or muscular thing that looks normal except when its painful. Good luck.
   — mrsidknee

December 1, 2006
Thank you so much for your input! I see the RNY surgeon Monday and I've printed all this information for him. Thanks again!
   — Tigs